19th Newsletter

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are pleased to present the Society's 19th Newsletter.

The European Society of Neurosonology and Cerebral Hemodynamics (ESNCH) is the most successful neurosonology group in the world, and is strongly connected to the pan-european scientific community. In particular we are building strong ties with the European Stroke Organization (ESO), the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), and the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB): at the annual conference of each of these societies, the ESNCH organizes courses/workshops/symposia and for this reason members of our faculty will be involved in GIasgow, Berlin and Athens. As a growing scientific society not limited by political or geographical boundaries, we are also strongly collaborating with the Neurosonology Research Group (NSRG) in order to create a network for all young neurologists who can benefit for being members of both societies and have the opportunity to gain the International Certification in Neurosonology.

The ESNCH supports the annual International Conference on Neurosonology and Cerebral Hemodynamics held in changing European countries and the Residential Training Course in Neurosonology, which is held every two years across Europe. These events have set high scientific standards, positioning these reunions as the hallmark location to discuss neurosonology, bringing together the world's experts in investigating cerebral hemodynamics. The advantages for our members are numerous: in a familiar atmosphere, they get the latest news and the highest level of knowledge on the clinical meaning of ultrasound in acute and chronic cerebrovascular diseases, as welI as clinicalIy relevant applications of Neurosonology in the fields of movement disorders and peripheral neuropathies. OveralI, our meetings represent the number one forum for the transfer of new ideas and an excelIent platform for young researchers to present their work, gain experience and start a scientific colIaboration.

Last year's main event was the 19th Meeting of the ESNCH that took place from the 10th to the 13th of May 2014 in Rome (Italy), caput mundi, the eternal city "to which all the streets lead", with its monumental history and the colours of the sunsets. The conference was chaired by Prof. Edoardo Vicenzini, from the Department Neurology and Psychiatry of Sapienza University, and by Prof. Marina Diomedi, from the Department of Neuroscience, Tor Vergata University. In spite of the current economical crisis, it was a successful conference both scientificalIy and socialIy: tbe meeting hosted 264 participants from 41 countries promoting active discussion throughout more than 30 hours of neurosonological science. All participants contributed to the success of this conference with their scientific work: 74 poster presentations, 28 invited lectures, 35 oral presentations. In addition, both basic and advanced teaching courses with 10 tutorial lectures were very well attended: 45 and 38 participants, respectively. Both basic and advanced tutorials were organized with live demonstrations on 32 patients with also video facilities showing in detail the exam; during the "hands-on" session, small groups were created to facilitate the direct interaction with the expert. Fifty-five delegates were also given the opportunity to test their knowledge and skills in the International Certification Examination in Neurosonology. Finally, as a consolidated tradition of our Society which continues to promote scientific research education and training, awards were given to the best 3 poster presentations.

All participants in addition to attending the conference were also offered a warm hospitality, especially during the social relaxing evening programs: the informal dinner took place in the historical city center near "Piazza Navona" at the restaurant "L' Angoletto" in a very familiar environment, while the Gala dinner was organized in the ancient astonishing "Palazzo Colonna", an unforgettable experience.

The main event of 2015 will be the 20th ESNCH Conference that will take place in Zadar (Croatia) from the 8th to the 11th of May 2015. Zadar is a hidden gem of the famous Croatian coast with a warm Mediteranian climate. It is a city monument with more than 3.000 years of history, with four national parks within one hour drive. Prof. Branko Malojcic from the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Center in Zagreb will be the meeting Chair, while the co-Chair will be Prof. Anamarija Mrden head of the Department of Neurology in Zadar. Their experience in organizing neurosonology courses will assure a very high scientific standard to the conference. The aim of the meeting will be focusing on innovations in science, technical progress, clinical applications, and in improving clinical practice of neurosonology and stroke management. It will be a unique opportunity to bring together clinicians, scientists, technicians, ultrasound and health care industry. As a tradition, basic and advanced teaching courses on Doppler- and duplex ultrasonography of cerebral vessels will be offered to delegates, who will be encouraged to have a very close cooperation with the experts in order to bring horne an unforgettable practical experience. They will also be given the possibility to gain the International Certificate in Neurosonology. For those who want to learn more, and who want to invest their time and money wisely, there will be an option to take part in the Zadar Summer School of Neurosonology on May 7th. For more details, you can visit the meeting website: www.neurosonology20l5.hr

The ESNCH defines the neurovascular standards in Europe and beyond, and an important part of its mission is to continue promoting scientific research, education and training all over Europe. In this regard, another important scientific event for our Society will be the 4th International Training Course in Neurosonology, which will be held at the beginning of September 2015 in Cluj (Romania) and the Chairman will be Prof. Muresanu Dafin. All participants will have the opportunity to better their skills with the help of our very qualified trainers, especially during the hands-on sessions. More details about dates and program will be given in Zadar and shortly on our website.

The ESNCH is a democratic organisation; the voice of all our members is important and their ideas are invaluable. For this reason the ESNCH encourages all members to actively support implementation of ultra sound in local stroke programs and to send to our webmaster, Prof. J. Klingelhöfer (neurologie@skc.de), announcements of upcoming events and conference reports for publication on our website: www.esnch.org. We also invite all our members to send their e-mail address to our treasurer Matthias.Sturzenegger@insel.ch and to our secretary claudiobaracchini@gmail.com in order to be kept updated on all current ESNCH activities.

We wish you all a very successful year and we are looking forward to seeing you in Zadar.